Scoot Blog: The 1st Amendment and the Right to Offend

by Scoot,posted Oct 9 2013 7:07PM

The Constitution does not guarantee anyone’s right to go through life and without being offended. Due to this modern-day premise that every person and every group must be protected from being offended, America may be on a path to approve a new constitutional amendment that would ban comedy and political speech!

Currently in the news there are two high-profile incidents that highlight the misunderstood concept that all Americans have a right to be protected from anything that might offend. Miley Cyrus, who was the host and musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend has come under fire from an organization that claims Cyrus made a comment on the show that makes light of a serious medical condition.

The Stroke Association has taken offense with Miley Cyrus explaining that she keeps sticking her tongue out during performances because “I’m having tinystrokes, yo!” Patrick Olszowski, Head of Campaigns and Policy at the Stroke Association said, “Having a mini-stroke is no laughing matter.” He went on to say, “Sticking out your tongue is not a sign of having a stroke” and “Having astroke is a serious medical emergency.”

We seem to have become such a sensitive nation that any time anyone says or does anything that a person or a group deems offensive, that a retraction and apology must follow and there should also be a promise to never offend that person or that group again.

The other incident that is getting national attention is the new dispute over the name of the Washington Redskins. The Oneida Nation is putting pressure on the NFL to demand that the team change its nickname because the “Redskins” is offensive to Native Americans. The open promotion of diversity has made the NFL a ripe target for anyone who feels that the group they represent has been offended.

The owner of the Redskins, Daniel Snyder, has said he will not change the name of one of the NFL’s iconic teams. President Obama recently weighed in on the debate by saying, “If I were the owner of the team and I knew that the name of myteam – even if they’ve had a storied history – was offending a sizable group of people, I’d think about changing it.” In the context of the population of the United States, it is debatable how “sizable” the offended group is and not all Native Americans are offended by the name the “Redskins.”

Political correctness has led to this moment in time when every individual and every group believe they have a right to demand that something be done whenever confronted with anything they consider offensive. The positive side of political correctness is that, as a nation, we have leaned that we should not go out of our way to offend others and we should be considerate of every individual or group. The major downside of political correctness has been the creation of a mentality in America that one has the right to go through life without ever being offended.

The First Amendment guarantees our right to free speech – which also grants our right to offend. While we should never go out of our way to be offensive, almost all humor and political statements will be offensive to someone. Comedy is often funny because of an absurd or stereotypical premise. With that understood, comedy can be offensive to – Christians, Jews, Muslims, conservatives, liberals, men, women, gays, lesbians, blacks, whites, Hispanics, lawyers, blondes, little people, big people and the list spans the scope of humanity.

The greatest damage of the perceived right to live in an offensive-free society has occurred in young America. ‘Name-calling’ is now a cause for teen suicide. Adult generations have accepted and passed on to their children the idea that no one should ever be offended. That has caused young generations to live with the perception that being offended can render a fatal wound.

The offensiveness of politics today accurately demonstrates how we have lost our right to speak freely in America. Liberals are offended by things conservatives say about President Obama and conservatives are offended by support for the President. Political objections should be honored as the cornerstone of the First Amendment. Being offended by political speech should not lead to the incivility that currently results from opposing opinions.

When you hear about an individual or a group that claims they were offended – stop and consider if they should really be offended - or if the claim is part of the mpettiness that has sprouted from the seeds of political correctness.

In the group known as ‘Saints fans’ – we are all proud that we have a very ‘offensive’ team!

Well, if they pass it, Obama will have to SHUT THE HELL UP ... he trashes

people every day.

10/09/2013 8:46PM

Obama has corrupted the culture. He is a liar and the media eats it up.

Obama is SH!T!

10/09/2013 8:49PM

All Obama has to do is LIE and the left-nut media and Scoot eats it up ...

The media sucks Obama’s DÎCK every day. There is NO journalism at the major networks. They are just propaganda organizations.

10/09/2013 8:52PM

The petulant pünk boy Obama is pitching a fit because he is not getting his money ...

Obama wants another trillion to waste. Hope the B!TCH keeps smoking. He deserves the cancer that comes with that. LOL. Obama HATES and his HATE is being returned .... ENJOY!!!!

10/09/2013 9:03PM

Obama does not give a dámn about the troops. Obama abused these folks ..

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/chico-ca/T22CJI4NQ69SK6SF6/p2

10/09/2013 10:37PM

Scoot has to bow to political correctness ... the black and gay lobbies control him.

poor scooter.

10/10/2013 5:33AM

The Democrats already own a bunch of black slaves now they are rounding

up a bunch Mexican slaves. Blacks spread their legs for more welfare payments and the Mexicans are becoming slaves in exchange for being allowed to stay in this country.

10/10/2013 5:26PM

A GOOD QUESTION????

How Can We Tax People for Not Buying a Product from a Website That Doesn't Work?'

10/10/2013 5:53PM

Report: Obama brings chilling effect on journalism ...

People refuse to believe we have a genuine tyrant in the White House, yet we do. The average Joe thinks Obama is just some hip hop celebrity president. He is much more in a very dangerous way. He is more than willing to abuse his power to get what he wants and punish those he hates.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_PRESS_FREEDOM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-10-10-02-45

10/10/2013 7:43PM

Would love to see the Red State seceed from the Union and let the

ässwipe liberals live in poverty under a tyrant.

10/10/2013 9:18PM

Obama is a LIAR—a walking load of feces and his ignorant cult followers